For anyone looking to travel to Louisville in the near future, especially if you've been there before, I am especially intrigued by the post from milz50. This is a very modern take on Louisville's dining scene. I was born there, learned to appreciate food and restaurants there, moved to Chicago in 1996, and still return regularly to visit my parents. With the exception of 610 Magnolia, which has existed in various incarnations for 20+ years but is gaining new fans due to Top Chef, every place you mentioned is new to me. Some other posts are also very good representations especially of low- to moderately-priced places, which is a strength of the city. (Of course Louisville's 6% sales tax lessens the cost of most places compared to 10.75% in Chicago.) I guess it comes down to asking one's self: Do you want to find the best meal Louisville has to offer, or do you want to find the best Louisvillian food? Either way, you won't go hungry there. Bon Appetit, y'all!

A bunch of years ago I ate at Proof on Main and it remains one of my favorite ever meals. Great room, fun staff and really interesting food - nice southern and country touches in flavor. A former client who moved back home to Louisville to work for Brown Forman took us there as his favorite and I thank him every time I see him.

We also ate in the Brown and Forman executive dining room and that was a trip - great food, white glove service, and they just keep pouring wine at lunch!

Smassey wrote:Sadly, Lynn's Paradise Cafe closed abruptly Saturday, January 12. While many outstanding places exist, Lynn's was very important in developing the Louisville culinary landscape and giving it some national exposure.

No way! I'm going to be by in a few weeks and this was where I was planning to go for breakfast. Anyone have any alternative suggestions? (It's on a Friday). Wild Eggs looks like it might be a good alternative.

Wild eggs has always been solid. I was in Louisville last weekend and tried Toast On Market which was excellent breakfast place. Across the street is Ghyslain, which I have only been to for lunch, but my family who lives there loves it.

Both very different than Lynn's, but most things are.

http://www.toastonmarket.com/

http://www.ghyslain.com/restaurants/ghyslain-market

Just spent another day and night and Louisville, and the dining there impresses me more each time I visit. Must be something in the water (or the bourbon) that really motivates these chefs, just one place after another outdoing themselves.

Arrived in time for lunch and headed straight to the Blind Pig in the Butchertown neighborhood. We'd eaten here before and really liked it and were really wowed this time around. Everything made from scratch, including their rillettes, charcuterie and sausages. Made a meal of various starters, including the charcuterie plate, duck rillette (sublime), canellini bean spread, and a beet salad:


Loved everything, but the oyster fritters were fantastic. I'm a sucker for any type of fried oyster, these were some of the best I've had anywhere. Excellent, and very generous, assortment of breads provided as accompaniment. Great beer selection too:


Another big plus is it's just down the street from ground zero of the Lebowski fest:


It's always a tough decision picking where to eat in town - return to an old favorite or try one of the new places? Decided to try a new one for dinner, Decca. The chef Annie Pettry worked for years in San Francisco kitchens and decided to move back home and open her own place. Good for me! We were just floored by everything we ate, very very talented chef. Started with an almond/cucumber gazpacho and hand cut steak tartare with quail egg:



Then a pork chop with polenta and grilled peaches, and spaghettinni with clams and chorizo (outstanding):



Most surprising item was a humble side dish of lima beans with buttered bread crumbs. These were just incredible, absolutely delicious (and filling, which was welcome - although all the food was excellent portions were pretty dainty):


To finish we split a home made ice cream sandwich, with honey gelato and lavender caramel. Fantastic dish, wonderful end to an excellent meal prepared by a very talented chef:


See ya Louisville, we'll get back at cha for the St. James Art Show!

Clay Cundiff wrote:I highly reccomend checking out http://www.louisvillehotbytes.com for information on Louisville restaurants. Be warned that Derby weekend is the busiest weekend of the year for Louisville restaurants, and that making reservations as early as possible is a must.

good call, ive been checking this site out a bit for an upcoming visit

from a laterr post of yours I have the Garage Bar on my short list(open Monday, quite a few places are closed on Mondays in Louisville it seems).

Also have a reservation for MilkWood,- looking forward to it.

http://milkwoodrestaurant.com/

Other spots on my list: Proof, Blind Pig, Wagners, Mike Linnigs, Old Seelback, and quite a few fried fish spots.

Always looking for more recs.. bringing the whole crew so ideas for kids activities would be cool as well.

Doc Crow's Smokehouse and seafood, Hammerheads and Louisville slugger museum..all on my to do list..Feast a restaurant across the River, plenty of Bourbon and BBQ!

jhawk1 wrote:Doc Crow's Smokehouse and seafood, Hammerheads and Louisville slugger museum..all on my to do list..Feast a restaurant across the River, plenty of Bourbon and BBQ!

Thanks Danny, I definitely need to be carefull with all the bourbon.

Louisville slugger museum looks like a good spot. I'll check out the bbq spots.

Bbq spot I had penciled in is Mommas Mustard, Pickles & BBQ.

Kentucky Derby museum is worth an hour or two, esp. if you like horses.

Geo

Hotel 21 also, if you like modern art (Proof is in the lobby, very well worth a stop).

Geo wrote:Kentucky Derby museum is worth an hour or two, esp. if you like horses.

Geo

thanks, really good one, pretty sure my 6 y.o. daughter likes horses..

I was in Louisville two weekends back and had a great brunch at the Silver Dollar. Nice bourbon/whiskey list and fantastic food. Went there the last day we were in town, but was wishing we found it on the first, as I would have like to try a number of other things.

Two words: Chorizo corndog.

Jim,

They *usually* take you on a tour into the paddock, where you can meet a genuine Thoroughbred. Kinda exciting.

Especially for pony-loving little girls!!

Geo

jimswside wrote:

Geo wrote:Kentucky Derby museum is worth an hour or two, esp. if you like horses.

Geo

thanks, really good one, pretty sure my 6 y.o. daughter likes horses..

I'll 2nd that recommendation. It was one of the few places we got to visit during our brief swing through Louisville a couple of months ago and both the Chow Poodle and I enjoyed it. Even though there were no races running, we still had a good time.

Silver Dollar is good and is open late -- later than any of the other good food options in my experience. Very nice cocktails using local oddities such as Ale-8-1. Taco Punk is OK too, for fancy farm to taco stuff. Against the Grain is a decent brew pub in the baseball stadium with good food - chili with a hot link is reminiscent of Reggie's chili. Shack in the Back is good BBQ in an odd spot. Lot's of good stuff there in Louisville, mostly close together, but not an overwhelming selection. I think Chicagoans love L'Ville because the food aesthetic is very similar, particularly in the area of hipsterish local rustic lard-focused cuisine. Heck, Silver Dollar even shares Big Star's avowed "inspiration": the taqueria muse and the roadhouse muse are the same Mid-Century Bakersfield. Throw on you flannel, wax the mustache and ride your vintage Moto Guzzi south. I do that trek a lot, and I am delighted by the juxtopositions between L'ville and the nearby guileless, non-ironic Indy and the comparatively glitzy/plastic/superficial Nashville, similar sized towns, once forgotten, now on a roll, all in a row down 65.

JeffB--

How could you ignore Bubbling Gum...er, Bowling Green KY in your tale of three towns??! I spent two years there in another universe long ago. Except for the Corvette Museum, there is *nothing* there. That's why, a propos of your comments, I know quite a lot about Loo-ah-vuhl and Nashvuhl.

Geo

stevez wrote:If you're looking for something unique to Louisville, I'd put a Hot Brown on your list. If your budget prohibits getting one at the source (The Brown Hotel), they are served all over town at less expensive places.

AGREED !

well worth it to get a Hot Brown from the Brown Hotel. I didn't think the price point was anything expensive. I've now had hot browns around Kentucky & the Brown Hotel still has made the best one I've had.

Yeah... I've read about the hot brown.... Might have to be in an enhanced state of mind to try that.

Was just in town last weekend for the St. James art fair. Had lunch at Harvest - now this was one tasty burger!

We spent a few days in and around Louisville for vacation this year(I know, really exciting local, but it was all good).

- Doc Crows, had some decent peel and eat shrimp here as well as a good Old Fashioned and some really top notch pork rinds.

Doc Crows
127 W. Main
Louisville, KY.

http://doccrows.com/


- Mussels and Burger Bar - not a place on my list before hitting town, but a good stop.

Really good local burger - local meat, cheese and trimmings, really good. With duck fat potatoes...(crappy pic - great burger)



charcuterie platter:



mussels,not really my thing, I liked the broth for dipping bread.:



decent spot.

Mussel and Burger Bar
9200 Taylorsville Rd.
Louisville, KY.



- The Fish House Cafe Beignet:



some really good fried shrimps here, lighter breading- "green river style" they called it. :



beignets weren's quite as good.

Fish House Cafe Beignet
1310 Winter Ave.
Louisville, KY.


- Mommas Mustard, Pickles and BBQ:



had to have some bbq, thought their brisket was pretty good as was the sausage,:



Mommas Mustard, Pickles and BBQ
102 Bauer Ave.
Louisville, KY.

http://www.mommasbbq.com/

- Milkwood:



torn on Milkwood, made a reservation a couple weeks out as this is a hot spot in town (chef edward lees other spot) - he was working the pass on the night we were in. Food was good and tasty, service hit or miss, portions small as hell.

menu is ambitious:
http://actorstheatre.org/wp-content/upl ... ring13.pdf

crispy skin pork for 2 was ok, but not a whole lot of crispy skin. I did scallops and pork belly, scallops wwere top notch, pork belly was miniscule. Like I said the food was good-great but I wanted more for the price of the plates.

Milkwood
316 W. Main
Louisville, IL.

- Mike Linnigs: Went here for Shays 7th bithday. She wanted fried chicken, fried shrimps, steak and crab legs. Mike Linnigns is the spot for all. Been around since 1925, right off the Ohio River, this spot must be hopping in the summer. I love places like this, laid back shack type places, the older the better.

Mike Linnigs
9308 Can Run Rd.
Louisville, KY.

http://www.mikelinnigsrestaurant.com/

Louisville was alot of fun. Hit some other spots that can be found on other regional threads on here.

Hey everyone:

I am heading to Louisville next weekend; anyone have any new recommendations?

Thanks!

Good timing, I took a quick trip there last weekend and probably would have procrastinated posting this report. Here's what we got up to in under 24 hours:

We had cocktails and apps at Proof of Main. I found the bar menu to be on the conservative side and somewhat pricey. We settled on a somewhat innocuous Yellowfin crudo that was cubed in a dashi broth. I liked the smoky fishy flavor of the dashi, but the dish lacked acid. Their fries were pretty good. Their bourbon selection is excellent, though I winced as I watched them pour my Elmer T Lee over ice machine cubes.

Taking a cue from Grubseeker above and Da Beef over on Twitter, we had dinner at Milkwood. The space is sort of cavernous, in the lower level of a theatre– it sprawls, feeling kinda empty, and the ceiling is a bit close for a tall guy. The food was pretty great though. We stuck to a few recommended dishes, skipping the larger platters for an app, burgers, and a side. I loved the Rock Shrimp Sausage dish that was very much a deconstructed shrimp toast. The sausages were perfectly shrimpy and ground fine and emulsified with fat. Texas toast was a nice buttery vehicle and the cilantro, pickled carrot julienne, and Red Boat mayo gave the thing a banh mi spin. Very fun dish. The burger also came together nicely– I ordered an unorthodox Pork Burger with kimchi, havarti, and pork crackling. It was sloppy and decadent and probably one pork patty too big, but if you know me, you know I'm a sucker for the kimchi and cheep cheese combo. My lady enjoyed her more mannerly bacon cheese beef burger as well. Collards with kimchi rounded things out and I loved the extra funk in those greens.



I was hoping to hit local fave, Indi's for late night fried chicken, but we were really stuffed from our meal at Milkwood. I considered it an option for brunch, but we felt a duty to eat a local delicacy in its native environment. I've had hot browns at a few other spots in Louisville and also attempted to make them at home. Typically, I've found this to be a dish that does't always add up– whether too much cheese or not enough sauce. The OG version of the Hot Brown at J. Graham's at the Brown Hotel nails it- real, thick sliced roasted turkey; quality thick cut bacon; melty roasted tomatoes; generously smothered with a well-made silky mornay. One of those sum-more-than-its-parts deals. Good stuff.



Proof on Main
702 W Main St, Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 217-6360
proofonmain.com

Milkwood
316 W Main St, Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 584-6455
milkwoodrestaurant.com

Indi's Fast Food
5009 S 3rd St, Louisville, KY 40214
(502) 363-2535
indis-fastfood.com

J. Graham's at The Brown Hotel
335 W Broadway, Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 583-1234
brownhotel.com/dining-hot-brown.htm

My wife was in Louisville for the entire month of January, and I was able to enjoy some good eats when I visited her. I also made a visit to Milkwood

Octopus Bacon smashed potatoes, sour cream, kalamata, jalapeno puree


Fried Chicken & Waffle radish, dill, chili pasta, buttermilk dressing


Miso Smothered Chicken pickled shiitake, Carolina butter rice, roasted vidalia onion, basil


Brisket and Grilled Mortadella pickles, garlic jam, biscuit crumbles & milk gravy


Togarashi Cheesecake peanut sea salt, miso caramel, blackened pineapple


My wife's theatre was located above Milkwood so I found myself there quite a bit enjoying the Octopus Bacon dish. Truly great.

I had a lot of afternoon's free, so I would go out searching for places to eat. One such place was Hillbilly Tea.



Rooibos Tea


Suffering Bastard gin, bourbon, ginger ale, fresh lime juice, bitters


Bread Service


Fried Goat Cheese shaved brussell sprouts, kale, bacon bits with sorghum vinaigrette


Braised Chicken Thighs on biscuits with barbecue glaze and sweet potatoes (pictured separately)



In the 21C Museum Hotel (which is amazing and has a 24hr museum featuring only 21 century art), there is a restaurant called Proof on Main.



Late Harvest Rittenhouse rye, st. elizabeth appsice dram, simple, angostura, old fashioned bitters


Roasted Bones short rib marmalade, house sriracha, pickled egg, toast

I remarked to Hammond (as we were both in Louisville at the same time) that this was the best bone marrow I've ever had.

Proof Bison Burger Tillamook cheddar, smoked bacon, jezebel


Goo-Goo Pie milk chocolate mousse, salted pecans, marshmallow fluff, sorghum caramel


A few friends were feeling adventurous and wanted to try some game meats at a restaurant named, easily enough, Game.

Meatballs [L-R] waygu, elk, venison


Bone Marrow parmesan, poblano, rosemary


Bison Burger greens, tomato, Kenny's Farm colby cheese, smoked truffle mayo on a brioche bun


I have no idea why my wife would do this at a place called Game, but she ordered a..Caesar Salad


Having heard so much about this place and with limited time left on our trip, we hit Garage Bar for brunch. Beautiful exterior and an orange-tinted interior so apologies for the photos.

Warm Beignets Powdered sugar & preserves


Butchertown Fry Egg, sausage, smoked cheddar, tomatoes, scallions & hot sauce


Poached Eggs & Country Ham Red eye gravy & grits


Extemely difficult to find a restaurant Sunday night as many restaurants closed for the Super Bowl, and quite rudely didn't even post a sign or voicemail saying they would be closed (I'm looking at you, Rye on Market, and Seviche!), so we ended up at Silver Dollar

Basket of Livers buttermilk fried chicken livers


Steak & Potatoes grilled 12oz N.Y. strip, shoestring potatoes, blue cheese cream


Market Fish cornbread, cheesy grits


Hillbilly Tea
(502) 587-7350
120 S 1st St, Louisville, KY 40202

Game
(502) 618-1712
2295 Lexington Road, Louisville, Kentucky 40206

Garage Bar
(502) 749-7100
700 E Market St, Louisville, KY 40202

The Silver Dollar
(502) 259-9540
1761 Frankfort Ave, Louisville, KY 40206

Thanks for the suggestions Jefe and incite! Also, great photos!

I'm in Louisville quite a bit for work. Incite nails it. Stay at 21 if you can. Very cool place. I like Proof on Main but Silver Dollar is my spot. Somewhat like Scofflaw. Neighborhood gives me déjà vu, vis a vis to other towns with a hipster residential hood up the hill from downtown. Seattle and Pittsburgh for example.

Well I guess it's my turn. Right on time for Derby weekend. We spent two nights down here this past winter and because of the weather and the fact we were there on a Saturday and Sunday night, we decided to stick with the Urban Bourbon Trail as opposed to visiting any distilleries, most of which are closed on Sunday during the colder months. The Urban Bourbon Trail is a clever, well put together "guide" to the best bourbon sipping spots within city limits. I believe the city's tourism board is responsible and I'll give them a tip of my Cubs hat as they got us to do our own little tour, pumping money into their economy while enjoying a weekend long buzz.


Riding 'round and getting it

First stop of the trip was downtown at place called Dish on Market. We were getting into town around Noon and they do both a brunch and regular menu and are part of the Urban Bourbon Trail meaning they have lots of whiskey served in many different forms. The inside of the place is very old school, almost a Wisconsin Supper Club feel to it with the age old bar and two levels of dining amongst wooden floors and staircases. The service was really friendly and interested in what we were doing in town (ID's showed we weren't locals). When I told them we came from Chicago to eat and drink they immediately fetched one of the handheld Urban Bourbon Trail Passports for us to use which would become our guide for at least five other drinking stops on this trip. The idea is you stop into one of the places, order anything and then get your passport stamped. Five stops gets you a t-shirt. We also downloaded the app. If you really want the shirt check out the phone number of the spot you're at once you get their confirmation code for the app, wink wink.


Downtown Louisville

I made like Seabiscuit and got the duty of having a Hot Brown while in town out of the way right out of the gates and she went with their fried pork chop lunch plate. Both were tasty. I dont love a Hot Brown (this was my second) but in the middle of a brutal winter this isn't a bad thing to eat. It was both comforting and well balanced. I enjoyed it. The chops were pretty good, I mean they are what they are and that's southern comfort.


Hot Brown


Fried Pork Chop Lunch Plate

We also stopped into Garage Bar, twice in fact, and enjoyed each visit. Louisville is like one big Wicker Park and Garage Bar is a replica of Big Star in the fact it used to be an old gas station and service garage. Being the middle of winter the patio wasn't open but it looked like a great place to hang when warm. We tried a Southern Ham Sampler and some beignets amongst a few of their excellent cocktails. I remember preferring the top left and bottom right offerings from the Ham Sampler which was quite a treat with a cold one. I could see myself stopping in another couple times next trip I get down there.


Outside


Inside


At the Bar


Southern Ham Sampler


Beignets

Milkwood would be one of our dinner stops the two nights we were in town. We went later in the evening and the place was pretty much empty having already gone thru the dinner rush. The only other patrons I noticed inside were Rick Pitino and his group as the University of Louisville had played a home game at the Yum Center earlier in the day.


Chef Edward Kim's Place

We took a seat at the bar which is my preferred choice when traveling. I like to meet the people behind them and learn anything they may have to share. Our bartender was from Nashville and he and wife are big fans of Chicago. I knew I had to have an order of the rock shrimp sausage upon glancing over the menu and she really wanted the Octopus Bacon with Smashed Potatoes dish and we split the double smashed pork burger described perfectly by Jefe upthread. Loved it all. I think this was probably my favorite meal on all levels because they also had this simple cocktail made with some Asian tea, I wish I'd of remembered the name, mixed with Buffalo Trace on ice. Even though it was winter, I knew I wanted to drink this all summer long.


Octopus Bacon


Rock Shrimp Sausage


Smashed Pork Burger

We did brunch Sunday morning at Proof on Main. As already discussed this place is attached to the 21c Hotel and Museum. The latter part of which is a free exhibit of Contemporary Art in the lobby of the hotel.


Outside

Inside the restaurant there's some really pretty pictures related to Louisville that were taken by a longtime photographer for the local newspaper. It's really nice but still pretty formal. The fact that many places are closed on Sundays along with my personal opinion of their brunch menu looking more appealing than dinner got us in here that morning. The Nashville inspired Hot Chicken dish came with white bread, corn relish and bread and butter pickles. All of which I believe were made in house, it looked different than I expected but tasted as good as I had anticipated. I had to get their Fried Bologna Sandwich with with an over easy egg, pimento cheese spread and arugula on a toasted butter bun, again all but the egg is made in house. The sandwich was my favorite bite of the weekend, the fries served with it were equally great. After brunch we cozied up at the bar for a round before walking around the free display of Modern Art in the hotel's lobby.


Nashville Spicy Chicken


House Bologna w/ Pimiento Cheese Spread and Egg


Walking Around

We stopped into Silver Dollar one night. I thought I read that this place has some connection to Big Star here in Chicago and you could definitely feel that. If the folks from BS had decided to open up a place reflecting 1950's Bakersfield, California than this is what you would get.


Happening Spot up on the Hill

It almost felt identical as far as atmosphere and customers and the food was pretty damn good too. Of course the bourbon based cocktails were also to be had. We started with an order of fried oysters which were what we wanted as far as those go. Entree wise she went with the fried chicken and waffle and enjoyed it and I had the Plate o' Chops which had three fried bone in pork chops with a black pepper gravy and smashed potatoes. Very comforting. The menu and music is supposed to reflect the people from the South that migrated to Bakersfield starting in the 1930's. Fun stop.


Country Fried Pork Chops with Country Gravy and Mashed Potatoes

The Seelbach Hotel was on the aforementioned Urban bourbon Trail and it's an authentically restored, early 1900's bar that features a expansive bourbon collection. I ended up drinking here twice, one night to watch the NBA Dunk Contest and met some really interesting people while sipping on some rye that time.


As seen in The Great Gatsby

I wasn't expecting to eat Mexican on this trip but then I remembered this place I had read about that was doing up local seasonal cuisine with a Oaxacan flair. Chef Bruce Ucan is from a small village in Southern Mexico and he's bringing some of his family's recipes as well as takes on them to the Mayan Cafe.


Downtown Louisville

The chef has been here for a while now and before that he was selling salbutes, tamales and tacos out of a truck called The Gypsy Van and this was before food trucks became fashionable. Said salbutes are a staple of the Yucatán peninsula. They're freshly fried tortilla puffs that typically come topped with chopped cabbage, pulled bird (chicken or turkey), tomato, pickled red onion, avocado, and pickled jalapeno pepper. Mayan Cafe offers a variety of options on their lunch menu.


Salbutes

Three come to an order and they let you pick and choose your main topping option. We went with the Smoked Chicken, a Roasted Pork and a Chorizo, Potatoes & Black Beans and they were outstanding. I know I said that the house bologna sandwich at Proof was my favorite bite but now I think these may have been. So good we got another round and thus I wasn't able to save any room for anything else. Next time I want to try their Papadzules which are smoked chicken & mozzarella cheese enchiladas served with a pumpkin seed sauce, fried egg, guacamole & chips. We really dont have anything like this in Chicago so dont skip over it thinking it "cant be better than what we have here" Chef Ucan would be a celebrity in Chicago. Especially in today's day, he's been practicing farm to table sustainability since he started.


Sensational

We stopped into El Camino which is located amongst a happening part of town with the younger aged crowd. I believe this place also has some association with a well known Chicago Mexican dining option in that its run by a guy who used to work at Frontera.


Happening Spot on Bardstown Road

While the looks and feel of the place were great, the outdoor area must be a hotspot when warm, the tacos were not good. The al pastor was the worst I've had in a long time, drowning in what tasted like an uncooked sauce there no way was it from a spit as advertised. The panza taco wasn't much better. It was just one large hunk of pork belly that resisted arrest with each bite, on top of that all the ingredients on top of it were a little much.


Panza (L) and Al Pastor (R) Tacos

I had better taco success at a newer place in the Highlands neighborhood called El Taco Luchador. It's pretty much the typical new aged taqueria you're seeing pop up all across the country. From the menu down to the design, but that doesn't mean the place cant be good.


Taco Shop on Bardstown Road

The fish taco was outstanding, crunchy perfectly battered fish only needed the chile aioli and pickled cabbage that came on top of it. Their unique offering that I really enjoyed was the veggie taco. Refried black beans, guacamole, queso fresco, roasted corn and poblanos, crema and pico de gallo along with a roasted plantain gave it a little Cuban flair.


Chicken Mole (L) Fish (M) Veggie (R)

Time for some old locals favorites. Indi's Fried Chicken is a Louisville Institution. When us outsiders hear Louisville and fried chicken in the same sentence we think about the Colonel, most locals think Indi's.


One of a handful+ of their locations


a peak inside

Indi's has spots all over the city and they're all different in looks, I liked how they did that. Not one outlet is the same as far as the building goes. It's popular at all times of the day but they seem to do their best business at night. I visited twice and on my first visit it was around Midnight and the place was packed. I was weary about the fact the chicken is sitting there under a lamp but went ahead and ordered anyway, not like there were many other options at this time.


Spicy Fried Chicken and Spicy Wedges

Chicken is served regular or spicy and you can definitely taste the kick in the spicy batch. I was instantly addicted, not just to it but also to the wedges which come served regular or spicy as well. This was some of the best fried chicken I ever had, maybe not the juiciest as it didnt need anytime to cool down but as far as fast food shacks go, this was grand. The green bean side dish was also a real winner, so good I got a 1/2 gallon to take home on my way out of town.


A Louisville Fwing

I'd done a little google search before heading down there and noticed another place called Chicken King that many praise as the well, the King. So I just had to try them both. Similar spots, this one was a little more run-down and I didn't like the chicken quite as much as I enjoyed it at Indi's but it was still really solid and the green beans somehow managed to be better than those at Indi's


Locals Favorite


Fried Chicken and Wedges

Another locals favorite I found online was Check's Cafe. They appeared in a search I did for rolled oysters which if you've never heard of them are another one of Louisville's regional eats. Check's has been a staple in these parts since 1944.


Longtime Locals Favorite in the Schnitzelburg neighborhood


a peak inside

The place was hopping on this Sunday afternoon visit as I walked up to place my food order. As mentioned I was here to try a famous Louisville Rolled Oyster. These are actually a dying breed. Originally started by Phillip Mazzoni who opened a tavern in his name in 1884 in downtown Louisville. Along with beer they sold hot dogs, boiled eggs, and what would become the iconic Louisville bar food, rolled oysters. Unfortunately Mazzoni's closed a few years back so you have to go elsewhere to find them. They're made by taking three shucked oysters and rolling them in a thick batter before deep frying, so they come out looking almost like a baseball. You don't need a Slugger to eat one but you will need a knife and maybe a fork. It was ok, lots of breading and pretty damn heavy. Maybe there's a reason they're fading away.


Rolled Oyster

Also mentioned on Check's menu as a specialty of the house was their chili. Me being a chili connoisseur and it being another fading menu item I just had to try theirs. A big semi greasy bowl came with lots of spaghetti on the bottom. It wasn't too spicy of a blend and had large hunks of ground beef still intact as well as the standard Midwest kidney beans. Seeing as how Cincinnati is just an hour away it would seem that this "Louisville Style" of chili is a take on it, although I remember Cincy style being alot more sweet and not too much to my liking. Whereas I'd probably stop in for a bowl of this a few times each winter if I was a resident down there. Not bad at all.


Checks Famous Louisville Style Chili


Looks alot like Cincy Style Chili to me...although not as sweet

Another random regional eat they love around these parts is the fish sandwich. In fact I'll share the fish sandwich trail that leads thru a few small Indiana towns south of Indianapolis down into Louisville in another post. This was a total freestyle stop as I was just driving by and even though I wasnt hungry I wanted to make sure this report was complete.


A Louisville Staple going on 20 years

So what makes a fish sandwich a Louisville style fish sandwich? I guess a few things the first of which is the breading. As mentioned by jimswside up above its called Green River Style but I'm not so sure what makes it so. You'd think maybe catfish would be the choice of the places serving these sandwiches but most use ocean fish. The other crucial element is the bread which is most always rye. The result? I dont need another.


Louisville Style Fish Sandwich

Another impromptu stop happened when I was riding around Monday morning getting gas before taking off for Chicago. I spied this awesome looking shack sitting in a parking lot, it was labeled Ollie's Trolley and I was excited to go back to the hotel and see what was up with it as it was early morning and they weren't open yet. As it turned out this place has quite the history here in the states. So it goes "Former Kentucky Gov. John Y. Brown, who had done quite well with his Kentucky Fried Chicken concept and made “Colonel” Harlan Sanders a legendary figure, tried to do the same with Ollie Gleichenhaus, who ran a tiny burger joint in Miami Beach. Ollie’s top-secret spice combo reportedly includes 32 ingredients, and Brown believed it was the burger version of the Colonel’s chicken recipe."


The Last of a Dying Breed

As the launch began Ollie's Trolley's started popping up around the country. They were unique in both looks (burgers served from a trolley) and also in taste. Aside from the secret spices used in the meat they also use a thousand island like dressing as well as fries which are tossed with the aforementioned 32 spices. I got there right as they were opening and so did a handful of other people. To my knowledge this is one of three left, the others in DC and Cincinnati though this might be the most "authentic" one.


At Max Capacity Inside

As I made my order I noticed something odd as I always like to watch them make the burgers at a place like this, to see what they're using (frozen, fresh balls, smashed etc). Well as I waited and watched, there was nothing on the grill and then my order was called and I was like "what the f-ck?" I dont know if they made the patties before they open and hold them under a heatlamp until someone orders one but it was very odd. So was the taste. It's been at least 5 years since I been to a Subway but this burger tasted like a Subway sub. I have no idea why. The fries were pretty damn good though. I liked the secret seasoning which is sold by a former employee in one pound bags online.


Ollie Burger and their Secret Spiced Fries

While waiting for Ollie's Trolley to open I took a ride over to the Louisville staple that is Wagner's Pharmacy. They've been around since 1922 and are a raceday favorite of both the jockeys and the owners of the horses they're riding. This place has been featured in more publications than most any spot out there so I'll save the history as you can easily find it online. Here's a report by Rene G.


A longtime favorite of the Jockey's and folks who call Churchill Downs their neighbor

Upon walking in I saw something funny, they were taking the days pancakes and putting them in plastic bags for what I assume was usage the next day. Seeing as how I was already waiting for Ollie's to open and also that, I decided not to eat. Instead I did a little shopping and bought a shot glass with their name on it as there wasn't much else worth a purchase.


a peak inside

One last longtime locally loved stop. Jack Fry's has been a Louisville institution since 1933. "Fry was known as a rambling, gambling kind of guy who loved amateur boxing and the ponies. As a result, Jack Fry's became a sportsman’s hangout, as evidenced by the numerous historic photographs that fill the walls of the current Jack Fry's." Bootlegging and bookmaking were his other specialties. Jack closed his spot in 1972 and after a decade of renting the building to a family running a Mexican restaurant, it was re-established as Jack Fry's. Ownership has switched hands a few times since Jack's death but the current one was a longtime employee who's happy to keep the tradition going, minus the illegal gaming parts.


Another Louisville Institution

The inside was really old school with white tablecloths and tons of the aforementioned pictures hanging up on the walls. Nowadays they have an executive chef and are known for their shrimp and grits so thats what I would go with while she had the Korean seafood stew. Both were very good.


Seafood Stew

Last stop of the trip before heading home would be The Liquor Barn where they have all sorts of bourbon for you to buy. Some of it behind glass because it aint cheap. What is cheap are the handles of Buffalo Trace and other Kentucky made bourbons. About $10 less than what you'll be paying at Binny's in some instances and then there's also all the options only available in state as well as the small batch bourbons from the more well known purveyors. Walked out with almost $200 worth of stuff but it was indeed worth it as I wont be needing any brown liquor in my bin anytime soon. Looking forward to a return trip when nicer weather hits.


Loading up with some bourbon before heading home...That's all for this trip

Dish on Market
434 W Market St
Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 315-0669

Garage Bar
700 E Market St
Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 749-7100

MilkWood
316 W Main St
Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 584-6455

Proof on Main
702 W Main St
Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 217-6360

The Silver Dollar
1761 Frankfort Ave
Louisville, KY 40206
(502) 259-9540

Old Seelbach Bar
500 S 4th St
Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 585-3200

Mayan Cafe
813 E Market St
Louisville, KY 40206
(502) 566-0651

El Camino
1314 Bardstown Rd
Louisville, KY 40204
(502) 454-5417

El Taco Luchador
938 Baxter Ave
Louisville, KY 40204
(502) 583-0440

Indi's Fast Food
Multiple Locations

Chicken King
639 E Broadway
Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 589-5464

Check's Cafe
1101 E Burnett Ave
Louisville, KY 40217
(502) 637-9515

The Fishery
11519 Shelbyville Rd
Louisville, KY 40243
(502) 409-4296

Ollie's Trolley
978 S 3rd St
Louisville, KY 40203
(502) 583-5214

Wagner's Pharmacy
3113 S 4th St
Louisville, KY 40214
(502) 375-3800

Jack Fry's
1007 Bardstown Rd
Louisville, KY 40204
(502) 452-9244

The Liquor Barn
4301 Towne Center Dr
Louisville, KY 40241
(502) 426-4222

On an overnight campout at an airport hotel, two spots that would likely qualify for GNR consideration.

La Rosita. A tacqueria/carneceria/pollo al carbon spot six minutes south of the airport on Pearson. Excellent and abundant lengua burrito and rajas and queso hand made gordita. The usual varieties of meats for tacos and plates. Little english spoken. Buried in an interior spin site in a cratered strip mall. The grilled chicken is weekends only. Sigh. There is also a small local chain by this name, no relation and not to be confused.

Annie Cafe. Came on this from perusing Louisvillehotbytes.com. Homestyle, cleanly prepared Vietnamese food. No BYOB. VG banh xeo, pho tai and a bun dish with minced eggroll, grilled beef and shrimp. About ten minutes south of the airport.

La Rosita
5059 Preston Hwy, Louisville, KY 40213
(Behind the Wendy's)

Annie Cafe
308 W Woodlawn Ave
Louisville, KY 40214

We did Round 2 down in Louisville this past 4th of July weekend. As the holiday crept up on us we had nothing to do and decided a ride down there to tour the bourbon distillery's this time around would be a fun getaway easily achievable in the last second. I wanted to do Traverse City or Door County but they were booked though I was happy with the end result as we also squeezed a daytrip to Cincinnati in on this visit. Good eating and drinking is what we were in Louisville to do so I again missed the Bat factory tour and also the Muhammad Ali Center. Next time! I do enjoy coming down here and the ride isn't bad at all. Boring maybe, but not awful if you stop in Indianapolis for some eats. We did a few repeats on this 3 day stay as we loved Milkwood on our last visit and then enjoyed drinks in the sun at Garage Bar and ate at Silver Dollar upon our arrival late that evening. Of course a couple trip to Indi's for some fried chicken and sides were also accomplished.


Vietnamese Lamb Sausage w/ fried green tomato, pan- drippings, pickled fresno, green goddess dressing at Milkwood

I'm always eager to try new spots and as many places as we made it to the first go around there were plenty more that hadn't been hit up. Right across the rive in New Albany, Indiana is a new-school BBQ place that gets plenty of praise both locally and nationally. Feast BBQ sits in a beautiful historic building and was open for business on the 4th so we made it our lunch stop before hitting up the Buffalo Trace Distillery for one of their free tours...and tastings.


New Albany, IN

Having read a few of the articles they have displayed on the walls I learned this is run by a guy who's all about the science of BBQ. Most of the worthwhile spots down in this area are run by hipsters and I don't think this place was any different though that doesn't mean it wasn't any good. One of their famous dishes is a smoked tofu but that wasn't going to be ordered so I actually went ahead and got a couple tacos while she ordered the pulled pork sandwich.


Pulled Pork Sandwich and Greens

My tacos were very pleasing. They can come two ways, American or Mexican style, and I got one of each. Brisket was topped American style with BBQ sauce, cole slaw and green onions while the pulled pork Mexican variation had cabbage, cotija cheese, pickled red onions, crema and lime. The Mexican version was much better. The pork might of been a little hidden amongst all the toppings but having tried her sandwich I can verify it was done right. Greens were approved by me but not her while the cocktails were cheap and strong. They have a really nice selection of beer and bourbon for you to enjoy with your 'que. Cool place as is the town itself which has some great Main Street Americana going to it.


BBQ Tacos

Aside from maybe apple pie and fireworks what can be more American than touring a bourbon distillery on the Fourth of July? Not much I can think of so we were off to the Buffalo Trace Distillery for their free tour which I thought was tons of fun. I learned stuff, drank a few shots worth for free and got a bottle of hand packed Blanton's to start my racing horse bottle-stop collection.


Aging Bourbon at the Buffalo Trace Distillery


Taking the Tour

After the Buffalo Trace tour we thought about doing the Four Roses one but decided not to in favor of getting back to Louisville for more food and drink. But not before a quick pit-stop at the southern fried chicken finger chain known as Zaxby's. Started in Athens, Georgia they now have locations in 15 states along with close ties to the SEC. These fried chicken finger chains are a thing around the south and Zaxby's is supposed to be one of the giants. I've always been anti-strip but was recently turned onto this phenomenon by Farmhouse Chicken Strips on Chicago's southside. Zaxby's weren't quite on the level of Farmhouse but as far as a quick drive-thru snack goes I can ride with it. Count me a fan of their signature self named sauce.


Zaxby's Chicken Fingers

Louisville has as big of a cocktail scene as any city it's size so it was no surprise to find a couple tempting establishments that we hadn't been to last trip thru. First up is a place downtown called Meta. Upon walking in you feel like you're at somewhere like the Whistler and with it they had a verdita drink on the menu titled "Ode to Logan Square". Drinks were stiff while a late nite plate of homemade pimiento cheese was on point. If you want a cocktail in more lush surroundings I recommend checking out the St. Charles Exchange. They really went all in with the inside but as far as the drinks go I don't really remember. Though you know their bourbon selection is marvelous.



Sipping up Louisville's Cocktail Scene

One of the newly opened places I had my eye on was a spot called Gralehaus that specializes in both beer and breakfast. The guys behind it own another popular spot in town and plan on opening a B&B alongside this new venture very soon. They're taking the Longman & Eagle approach. As I mentioned in the previous post, most of the city is one big Logan Square.


Located in the Highlands Neighborhood


a peak inside

They do food and beer for there or you can buy beer from their fridge to put into yours. Taps, bottles, cans, you name it they got it. Having checked out the menu beforehand it was the crepes that caught my eye. They offered quite a few variety's and while the one I wanted wasn't on there I found a replacement pretty quickly. The Country Ham with an egg and red eye gravy as well as a couple other components I can't remember was a nice way to start the day but having seen another patrons Biscuit and Duck Gravy plate I was kind of regretting having not gotten that. She had the cornmeal crusted catfish sandwich of which everything except the fish was made in-house. I heard it was good, small but worthwhile.


Country Ham & Egg Crepe


Catfish Sandwich

Best bite of this trip came from Harvest Restaurant located in the NuLu neighborhood amongst a bunch of other worthwhile spots. We stopped in for drinks, which were super refreshing, and I decided I had to try their take on an old state favorite. Burgoo is a social event in Kentucky, much like the fish fry is here in the Midwest. Usually its made by churches and organizations but you'll find restaurants making it here and there too. Traditionally it's made with whatever meats and vegetables were available and everything from racoons to squirrels are game. At the farm to table Harvest Restaurant they're making theirs with chicken, pork, turkey, new potatoes, heirloom tomatoes and pretzel croutons. This was deep in flavor and definitely something I'd seek out next time I'm around.


Kentucky Burgoo at Harvest Restaurant

Also located in NuLu is a place called Taco Punk and seeing as how I'm a taco fiend I had to stop in and try one. Upon entering the place has the feel of a Chipotle so my hopes weren't all that high but I left pleasantly surprised with my "quick service gourmet taco". I tried the pineapple pork shoulder which is real smoked pork finished with a pineapple glaze and chose my toppings ala Chipotle. The meat had actual smoke flavor and they make the tortillas fresh to order and stuff them with fillings. Not bad at all.


Smoked Pork Taco from Taco Punk

Last stop before heading back was to a Rene G covered spot that's been slanging burgers since 1947. I chose to try the other old school burger joint nearby last time so this time around I wanted to see what was up over here.


The famous Dizzy Whizz Drive-In

Their famous Wizzburgers were 2 for $5 on my visit but she wasnt eating so I went with just one. This is a double Decker burger ala the Big Mac minus the sesame seed bun. I think the sauce is a little bit different as well, mostly mayo based and I liked it for a fast food burger but would still say Jim's Hamburger Heaven in Elmhurst makes my favorite burger in this style. That's all for this trip! See ya next time.


Whizzburger

MilkWood
316 W Main St
Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 584-6455

Feast BBQ
116 W Main St
New Albany, IN 47150
(812) 920-0454

Buffalo Trace Distillery
113 Great Buffalo Trace
Frankfort, KY 40601
(502) 696-5926

Meta
425 W Chestnut St
Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 822-6382

St. Charles Exchange
113 S 7th St
Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 618-1917

Gralehaus
1001 Baxter Ave
Louisville, KY 40204
(502) 454-7075

Harvest Restaurant
624 E Market St
Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 384-9090

Taco Punk
736 E Market St
Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 584-8226

Dizzy Whizz Drive-In
217 W St Catherine St
Louisville, KY 40203
(502) 583-3828

My husband and I are planning to do the Bourbon Trail in early June, basing ourselves out of Louisville. It's been wonderful reading all the posts from the last year. If anyone has anything new to share, I'd love to hear them.

I'm going for a travel baseball tournament the weekend of July 4th--any good value kid (high school) friendly suggestions would also be much appreciated.